Getting new Ruger GP 100

[JohnKSa]

My only complaint is the little stub that passes for a grip frame.

The advantage to the small grip stub is that it allows for a much wider range of grip sizes and shapes without having to modify the actual frame of the gun.

A conventional, full-sized grip frame limits how small grips can be. The GP100/SP101/Super Redhawk grip stub provides tremendous flexibility.

 

[wild cat mccane]

See, like that comment above.

It isn't true. It is repeated often.

The 686 has far more grip options than the GP100.

 

[JohnKSa]

I didn't say there are more grip options for the GP100 than for other revolvers, I said that the grip extension design "allows for a much wider range of grip sizes".

That is, if someone were so inclined, they could make a much wider range of grip sizes and shapes for a GP100 than would be possible with a revolver that has a traditional full-sized grip frame.

The fact that the market doesn't seem to have taken full advantage of the design feature is probably due to a number of factors--but the potential is there.

GP100 is advertised as having many options for grips because of its peg.

I don't know what you are specifically referring to, but here's what the manual says:

"The unique frame extension permits the use of full wrap-around style grips of any desired configuration."

There's nothing in that statement that claims there are "many options for grips" available on the market, or that there are lots of makers turning out GP100 grips, or that there are more varieties of grips for GP100s than for other makers' revolvers. It only says that the design provides a lot of flexibility.

 

[arquebus357]

At least the GP100's grip frame is in good company. Taurus uses the same stub grip frame on some of their revolvers. Way to go Ruger

I don't know who advises the Thai grip makers. There are many more grips available for the S&W N frame than for the K/L frame. For every N frame revolver there are probably 20 K/L frame guns. Don't know why they would bother making grips for Colt Pythons. What Python owner is going to put $40 grips on their gun ? All the nice wood grain seems to be used for Taurus revolver grips. The latest S&W finger groove design from Jaruwan adds about 1" to the length of the grip. ????

 

[wild cat mccane]

I'm just using the Ebay Thailand fella as an example. I have purchased 3 Taurus wood grips and one 686 grip from him.

EAA Windicator also uses the peg/post. That Taurus uses it on the Judge frame hasn't helped it's options either.

Point is, the traditional wood target grips (round, flat bottom) is only sold in the GP100 by Eagle Grips for 150 or 250 depending on flat vs textured cuts.

Even Ruger's Lett grips (rubber with wood insert) still only has one source that duplicates it, Altamont, and none when Lett grips were dropped or Lett went out of business (mystery still?).

The peg might open options in theory but in the real world the GP100 has far fewer grip options. The GP100 peg options are the current Lett grip which still has a hump, horrible hump (like the factory Hogue gorilla grip), or the fast angle away from the gun stub that looks like a crude pirate grip.

Meh. A buyer can buy more grip options in the S&W line. No one ever says the S&W square or round grips creates the option for more grips.

The 686/586 is an L frame and the GP100 shares the grip of the Super Red Hawk. At both over 30 years old, we can't say the peg has done anything but made fewer options for the GP100 that are dwarfed by the options of the L frame S&W.

 

[Hammerhead]

Congrats Professor.

The old style rubber grip with wood panels is my favorite revolver grip of all time. They have to be tried at least once on your Geep. You can get them dirt cheap on Gunbroker.

Did my best DA shooting with a Geep and the old rubber grips. Feel great in recoil too.

 

[Stargater53]

There are other GP100's without the full underlug. Like this puppy, a model GPF-340 from 1989. This is the one that outshoots my Match Champion.

I love the looks of that gun. Never seen one at a gun store. Are They still I p production? If so, I'm going to start recommending it to homeowners wanting a good drawer or hiking gun. Did you get it new or used?

 

[ThomasT]

The old style rubber grip with wood panels is my favorite revolver grip of all time. They have to be tried at least once on your Geep. You can get them dirt cheap on Gunbroker.

I'm with you all the way. The original wood/rubber grips are the best grips I have ever used. And thats on the GP-100 and the SP-101 with the plastic insert.

I have a GP-100 I bought back around 1990 to use in falling plate matches with a 6" barrel. I have no idea how many rounds I have fired but I am sure its over 5,000. I decided I wanted a 4" barreled version and had to search a while until I found a used one that came with the original wood/rubber grip and bought it. What nice guns to go with the two Security Six guns I have.

 

[wild cat mccane]

Half lug GP100 in stainless: https://www.ruger.com/products/gp100MatchChampion/models.html

or for the price of 3 686s/GP100s or 1 and 1/2 S&W R8s you can get it in blue:
https://www.ruger.com/products/superGP100/models.html

 

[ThomasT]

If my dad were still alive and still had his machine shop I spent so many thousands of hours working in my 4" and 6" GP-100 would both be half lug guns.

 

[Prof Young]

Got it and shot it . . .

Picked up my GP 100 in 357 yesterday and shot it today. At ten yards, not off a rest, I was getting 3-5 inch groups a touch left and down from my aim. I'm sure the placement is me not the gun. Gun ran 100 rounds without a glitch. Really like it. I'd forgot how poweful the 357 can be. Felt like I was going to get a concussion just from shooting the thing. Fun gun. May be on it's way to a permanent part of the collection.

Life is good.
Prof Young

 

[Stargater53]

If my dad were still alive and still had his machine shop I spent so many thousands of hours working in my 4" and 6" GP-100 would both be half lug guns.

I had a grandfather with a machine shop. Years ago on the railroad, some railroad execs were passing through and they saw my granddad take a piece of copper and put it over the head of a hammer. One asked why he did that and he explained that it increased the life of his hammers. They did some checking and found out it did, and they instituted it nationwide. He got a check for a whopping one hundred dollars and the railroad saved...well, I don't know how much, but it was a lot more than a hundred dollars! He took his check and bought s some nice equipment for his machine shop. And he had enough left over so he didn't have to eat tongue (which he hated) for awhile. At the time, that hundred bucks was like winning the lottery. Today, not so much.

I still remember the smell of machinery and oil in his shop. There was a little gravel path from the house to the shop, and when I was three, I used an old silver spoon my grandma gave me and a bucket and I'd play with that gravel while my granddad played in his machine shop. I guarantee he had more fun back them than I did!

--

 

[arquebus357]

Quote:
I love the looks of that gun. Never seen one at a gun store. Are They still I p production? If so, I'm going to start recommending it to homeowners wanting a good drawer or hiking gun. Did you get it new or used?
Stargater53 .
..........................................................................................
The only half lug models, besides the Match Champion, I see being offered currently are 5" barrel Lipsey's specials.

I got this last year off Gunbrokers. Won the auction with $400 !!!. The photos posted there made the gun look like a piece of junk. To my amazement, it was in almost pristine condition. I was kind of disappointed because I was looking forward to refurbing it. I only changed the grips.

 

[ThomasT]

I still remember the smell of machinery and oil in his shop. There was a little gravel path from the house to the shop, and when I was three, I used an old silver spoon my grandma gave me and a bucket and I'd play with that gravel while my granddad played in his machine shop. I guarantee he had more fun back them than I did!

I worked in my dads machine shop from age 10(yes I ran a tapping machine) till age 24. By then I had had enough of mashed fingers and smelling like cutting fluid(water soluble oil) and mu=ysterious cuts I had no idea how they got there.

But I learned a lot. I learned how things were made, machined and to take apart and repair about anything I lay my hands on. My dad was an artist in machine work. I never reached that level. Most of what we did was prodution and I learned to set up the machines. No CNC back then. I loved it when he told me he needed a part build and I would go to the metal scrap pile and get material and draw up my own plans and then use a lathe and mill and make that part.

The math I learned carried over in to my other loves like designing my own RC model airplanes. My designs fly as well as any kit or prebuilt model I have ever flown. Miss you dad.

 

[Montana Jon]

Back on July 8th, a day before my 65th birthday I spotted this one at a pawn shop sitting under the glass counter, and recognized that it was a half lug .... needless to say, I talked with the owner for some time, and got him to lower the asking price.... I paid the money and walked with it grinning from ear to ear.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

Love my GP100, best thing I ever did was call Triggershims and talk to them. Purchased their shim/spring kit after learning how to figure out what shim sizes I needed. A little parts polishing and installing the right shims/springs and it’s a marvelous shooter. Kudos to Triggershims.com, one of the most helpful guys you’ll ever deal with. The DA surpasses all but my 4” S&W model 57, and SA is almost on a par with my best Smith trigger.

 

[Pumpkin]

I'm very disappointed with the sleeved barrel crap Ruger is pushing today.
An old penny pinching process stolen from Charter Arms.
It is done to save money, no other reason.

 

[Jeff #111]

Ruger sells the older style rubber grips on https://shopruger.com/. Both the full-size and the compact versions. They are $44.95, but they are brand new and just like the old days. Altamont also makes the older grips.

 

[wild cat mccane]

I used wilson combat springs and too the shims you are talking about.

My experience was not the same against a stock 686.

Lett went out of business. Altamont makes the Lett style grips now. The Hogue grips that fit no hand are still attached to the non 7rnd cylinder GP100s. Only the 1771 and 1773 come with the Lett style Altamont wood/rubber grips.


What's a cap sleeve barrel mentioned above? would like to learn.

 

[Pumpkin]

It's a steel shroud installed over the actual barrel.
Saves machining time...........$$$$$